Nov. 4, 2012

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Mayor of Old Town App

The idea of going to the local bar and asking the barkeep “what’s on tap?” doesn’t always work in Fort Collins, where there can be up to 100 taps behind the counter.

That’s why one beer bar has opted to go high-tech, creating its own smartphone application to keep drinkers abreast of what new beers are being poured.

The Mayor of Old Town, 632 S. Mason St., has released a customized app that lists all 100 beers on tap at the bar at all times. Each beer includes a description along with a link to the respective brewery’s website, number and a map. Users also can share the beer they are drinking to Facebook.

The free app also includes an events page that lists upcoming concerts at the bar. Included in the next generation of the app will be a “Find A Beer” section where users can enter their taste preferences and see what beers on tap match.

The app has a two-minute delay once the digital boards in the bar are updated.

Co-owner of The Mayor Kevin Bolin said he wanted an app to augment the staff behind the bar and keep fans outside the bar updated on what’s going on.

Bolin also recognized that his target audience is young tech-savvy drinkers who are often on their smartphones while sipping a beer.

There are plans for notifications that would alert people with the app in real time what beer is being tapped so they can make sure to get there before it runs out. Bolin also would like to incorporate the phone’s GPS so when a person enters the bar they have access to specials and deals that others don’t.

Fort Collins-based The Pixel Rebel, LTD, 345 Riva Ridge Drive, designed the app for The Mayor. The company has also designed such apps as “Olive The Woolly Bugger” and “Chuckin’ Bugs 101.”

Jonathan Foos and Derrick Kuhn are the co-founders of The Pixel Rebel, which started a year ago with children’s book apps.

With the initial success of The Mayor’s app, which had 550 downloads as of Nov. 1, the duo is looking to offer similar apps to more bars, restaurants and breweries in Fort Collins and Northern Colorado.

Kuhn said the innovative app is unlike anything any other bar is using right now.

“It’s cutting edge and does make the experience better,” said Kuhn who charges between $5,000 to $20,000 to develop an app for a business.

The app is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch and iPads. The Android version is slated to be released Nov. 15.